FAQs FOR EXTERNAL FRINGE ORGANISERS - greenparty.org.uk

GREEN PARTY SPRING CONFERENCE 2015, 6-9 MARCH, LIVERPOOL

FAQs FOR EXTERNAL FRINGE ORGANISERS

Where will my fringe be held?
Your fringe will be allocated to a room based on the predicted number of people attending
your session (we will know this roughly two weeks before conference) and this will be
indicated on the timetable. Please arrive at your room 10-15 minutes before the session
starts, to check that you are happy with the layout and that the technology is working and
you have everything you need.

How long is my session?
Fringe sessions are 75 minutes long. Please be very careful not to overrun as this has a
knock on effect for subsequent sessions. Please allow 5 minutes to clear the room at the
end, so that the next fringe organiser can get in to set up. Conversations with audience
members should be continued outside the room once your time is up.

What equipment will be in the room?
Each room will have a PA system and microphones, a data projector and screen, but you will
need to bring your own laptop. (NB You will also need the correct mac adaptor if you are
using a mac.) There will be a flip chart and pens available. Technical staff will be on hand to
help if you are having trouble (please use the contact number, on the table).

Can I stick things to the walls at the venue?
Yes, as long as you use white-tac. Sellotape and blu-tac are not permitted.

How will the room be set up?
The room will be set up theatre style (chairs in rows facing the front). Feel free to re-arrange
them to a style that suits your session, but return them to the original set up at the end.

How do organisers and speakers get in to Conference?
Speakers/organisers who are non-GP members will be given a visitors badge at the
reception desk, which will give them access to the conference for that day. Please give us
the names of your organisers/speakers by 6 September at the latest. If you wish to attend
on further days, organisational passes can be purchased at £15 per day per person.
please contact Louisa to arrange this.

Can members of the public attend?
Members of the public can buy a £5 taster ticket for one day of conference (to be purchased
on the day), which is then refunded if they decide to join. Please feel free to publicise your
session to the outside world as this is a great way of attracting new members.

How do I know how many people to expect?
When the early bird booking deadline has passed, we send an email to all members who

GREEN PARTY SPRING CONFERENCE 2015, 6-9 MARCH, LIVERPOOL

have pre-registered for conference asking them to give a voluntary and unbinding indication
of which fringes they think they would attend in each session. This gives us a fairly good idea
of attendance for each session, which we then pass on to you for planning purposes by late
February.

I want to have catering at my fringe session. Can I bring my own snacks/drinks?
Under the terms of the venue-hire contract we are obliged to use the in-house catering and
are not permitted to bring in our own drinks and snacks to meetings. Please ask Louisa for
details of the in-house caterers.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL FRINGE SESSIONS

Please follow the guidance below when running your meeting:

 Meetings are now 75 minutes with 15 minutes break in between (previously 50/10
minutes) allowing more time to get to and from meetings and for the meetings
themselves. While you may want to start no more than 5 minutes late to allow for
late arrivals please do not overrun in any circumstances. Don’t stretch out meetings
– if it has run its course after 60 minutes just finish, giving people a 30 minute break
they may welcome.

 Going round the room for introductions eats into the meeting time. If that is
expanded into people talking at length about why the issue is important to them etc
you could lose half an hour. So please think carefully before including this in your
fringe – the committee do not recommend it except where the attendance is small.

 Fringe meetings are interactive discussions, which seek to inform and move the
party forward. A non-interactive lecture format will not go down well – please
incorporate sufficient time for Q&A during the meeting.

 It is suggested that the Chair outlines clearly how the meeting will run at the start.
Please chair the meeting in a way that ensures shy members new to conference have
an equal chance to contribute as louder conference veterans who assert themselves
or want to butt in. And consider the gender balance as people put their hands up to
speak, and avoid using names when selecting questions from the audience as it
makes newcomers feel they are not part of the ‘club’. Assertive chairing, only where
necessary, to cut people off who speak for too long should help the fringe run
successfully for all concerned.

ACCESSIBILITY AT FRINGE SESSIONS

It is very important to us that all meetings at Conference are accessible and welcoming to
everyone. We would be grateful if you could work with us to ensure that everyone’s needs
are met as far as possible by following the guidance below.

GREEN PARTY SPRING CONFERENCE 2015, 6-9 MARCH, LIVERPOOL

 HEARING: Please use the microphones provided for both speakers and question
askers. Even if your room seems small and you feel this is unnecessary, it really helps
those with hearing difficulties. Remember to hold roving mics near to your mouth
when speaking, and to lean into the table top mics.

 VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS: If using a presentation, please make this as clear to read as
possible for those with visual impairments. Using sans-serif fonts and contrasting
colours is best.

 WHEELCHAIRS: there will be areas where seats have been removed to make room
for wheelchairs. The seat adjacent to this will also be reserved. Please ensure that
the set up is correct and that there are no obstructions between the entrance and
the designated space.

 Please note any reserved seating at the front and try to police that this is being used
correctly. Sometimes for example it is necessary to reserve three seats together for
someone who has a carer and a signer with them.

 GENDER: Please refer to people in the room using gender neutral identifiers such as:
‘The person at the back in the blue sweater’ rather than ‘The woman at the back in
the blue sweater’.

If you have any further questions, please contact:
Louisa Greenbaum, Conferences Co-ordinator, [email protected]